In conventional installations, a door is mounted to a frame by two or more hinges which allow the door to pivot about a vertical axis when moving between an open and a closed position. The pivoted edge of the door generally fits closely with the adjacent doorjamb while leaving a substantial gap along the edge opposite the hinge when the door is open. It is therefore very easy for a person to insert an object in this gap when the door is open. Then when the door is closed, substantial leverage is applied to whatever object happens to have been inserted into the gap.
Injuries are often caused, especially to small children, by fingers being trapped between a door and a door frame or a doorjamb. Various designs for door guards have been proposed in the past to overcome this danger. For example, others have proposed the use of a web of plastic material stretched over the space between the door and the jamb when the door is open. However, these prior devices were deficient in one or more respects such as cost, ease of installation, reliability or effectiveness.